I spent a lot of time on an air force base near my home, and I'm keenly aware of the cost of scrambling F-16s even for a short flight. This is a sickening overreaction that costs taxpayers a million dollars per jet per tank.

April 24, 2009 01:33 pm at 1:33 pm |

Jimmy the Greek

I don't get it.

A box of tea bags – Secret Service scrambles, pushing out protestors and closing down DC.

Not wuite on point, but I gotta tell ya...Schmidt appears to be the only GOPer in the country with his head outside of his buttox.

April 24, 2009 01:45 pm at 1:45 pm |

Terry, TX

Who cares..I am more interested in the security of our soldiers on the ground....now that I believe Obama and Holder have put our soldiers in danger with these memos,,,and now pictures..to go after Bush and Cheney. It tells me alot about the character of our commander in chief...Lincoln and Roosevelt must be turning over in their graves.

April 24, 2009 01:46 pm at 1:46 pm |

Simpliticus

And one ponders how 9/11 could have been allowed to occur with this quick response.

April 24, 2009 01:52 pm at 1:52 pm |

mike

Great! Another waste of taxpayer money because of this RIDICULOUS zone. Hey Washington, get rid of the ADIZ now!

April 24, 2009 01:54 pm at 1:54 pm |

Soccer Nana

I spell conspiracy. Where's Cheney?

April 24, 2009 01:56 pm at 1:56 pm |

Fitz in Texas

Pay attention here folks. If this administration can't even keep a light aircraft out of restricted airspace, rest assured it won't be able to stop another attack on this country, especially with the person this administration appointed to run The Department of Homeland Security.

April 24, 2009 01:56 pm at 1:56 pm |

KC

Why would they evacuate? Hasn't Obama made friends with all our enemies? Granted he has ticked off all our allies....

April 24, 2009 01:57 pm at 1:57 pm |

I WILL WALK BO

This should not be taken lightly....what if the pilot was John McCain...imagine the disaster in DC

April 24, 2009 02:02 pm at 2:02 pm |

yuri

Grab it! That's what we call a knee jerk response. Did the cessna flier not know it or what?

April 24, 2009 02:03 pm at 2:03 pm |

tom

WAIT A SECOND. Wasn't it the democrats who blasted Bush, calling him a coward for following security procedures on 9/11? AND NOW a Cessna 180 – not to be confused with the little balsa wood airplanes powered by a rubberband, causes a LOCKDOWN in the White House and shuts down the Senate?

Excuse me while I LMAO.

April 24, 2009 02:05 pm at 2:05 pm |

Obama Fo Yo Mama

Bush did it

April 24, 2009 02:07 pm at 2:07 pm |

Deborah

I thought the world loved us again so their wouldn't be a need for a no fly zone around the White House?

April 24, 2009 02:11 pm at 2:11 pm |

Dont blame me, I voted for Ron Paul.

Heh, I was working when this happened, and we all ran to the windows because we heard that the security cause was "a plane crash." Didnt see any smoke at the Capitol Building so we went back to work.

April 24, 2009 02:14 pm at 2:14 pm |

obama/mama

Attention seeking clown.

April 24, 2009 02:26 pm at 2:26 pm |

Qui-Tam Relator

There is a lot of air space to patrol especially between our politicians ears ! ********************************

April 24, 2009 02:39 pm at 2:39 pm |

Freed_From_W

$10 says it was Cheney trying to land on the roof in an attempt to destroy more incriminating memos.

April 24, 2009 02:39 pm at 2:39 pm |

RDS

Wow, I hope they had a fresh pair of under garments for him when he landed, b/c he probably almost lost it when he saw those F16's coming...

April 24, 2009 02:44 pm at 2:44 pm |

Jackie in Dallas

And it was probably some new pilot who didn't even really know where they were....

However, I'm glad to see that the security measures worked. Some day it might not be a drill, but some idiot radical right winger whipped into a frenzy by Limbaugh and Palin who tries to dive bomb the White House. Odd, when I disagreed with President Bush, I was called a traitor, even though I didn't advocate violent overthrow of the duly elected (well, the Supreme Court said so, anyway) President. Now, it seems, it is unpatriotic NOT to advocate overthrowing the President. hmm...what's wrong with this picture?

April 24, 2009 02:53 pm at 2:53 pm |

Mississippi Mike

How come this is such a big deal but North Koreas rocket launch wasn't? Because Obama was scared for his own safety, that's why. A good missile defense system would have blown this crappy Cessna out of the sky the second it entered banned air space.

April 24, 2009 03:07 pm at 3:07 pm |

DAVE

Why didn't we shoot it down??! this is AMERICA

April 24, 2009 03:16 pm at 3:16 pm |

Moderate Democrat

If Bush and Cheney were still in office, it would have hit a building. Thank god we have someone that actually DOES keep us safe now! Some morons out there have this lower standard as late, spouting off the retarded rhetoric of 'Hey, if they don't get attacked all the time, then they kept us safe. It's like a mulligan, Bush and Cheney only got attacked once, they get's a do over. Who cares if for sixty years the other presidents and vp's did it their ENTIRE time in office. Carter really sucked as did Clinton, because they didn't get attacked at ALL on their home soil".